Your Rights

Your Rights in Texas

After being arrested, it is required that you are taken, without delay,
to a magistrate at which time the magistrate must advise you of any accusations
against you, any affidavits filed regarding the accusations, your right
to retain legal counsel, your right to remain silent, your right to have
an attorney present during any interviews, your right to terminate any
interviews at any time, your right to request a court-appointed lawyer,
your to have a fair trial, and your right not to make a statement that
may be used against you. It is also your right to have a reasonable amount
of time to contact an attorney.

As the accused, you also have the right not to be prosecuted for a felony
unless indicted by a grand jury, the right to be presumed innocent until
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, the right not to incriminate yourself,
the right to a speedy trial, the right to confront any witnesses against
you, and the right to appeal.

Featured Stories:

In a newly obtained video, a Houston Police officer is seen balling his fist, punching a woman in the face and slamming her to the floor of a drunk-tank cell after she swung her elbow at the officer while questioning the no-refusal blood test.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office is forced to throw out more than 140 cases so far after it was discovered over 21,000 pieces of evidence was destroyed by the Precinct 4 Constable's Office.

There are over 1,000 cases under review because of the misuse of evidence. While 142 have been dismissed thus far, there has been a high number of cases in which evidence has been destroyed - most of the cases involving drug crimes.